Illinois football had many strengths in 2024, and that is why we won 10 games.
Without those strengths, the Illini would have struggled greatly. One of the biggest strengths for the Orange and Blue was the wide receiver corps.
Pat Bryant led the way for Illinois with 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. Zakhari Franklin wasn’t too far behind with 55 receptions for 652 yards and four touchdowns. The thing about these two great pass catchers is that they are both now off the team. Bryant was drafted, and Franklin is trying to make his way to the NFL.
With those two gone, Bret Bielema and Barry Lunney will need to find replacements. While we do have some nice returning options, there are some new faces that came in during the offseason. Illinois is going to need those new faces to step up and perform well early on for the program.
It sounds like the new weapons for Illinois football are starting to emerge
Illinois wide receiver highlights – The options are plentiful
Now that Bryant and Franklin are out of the picture, Illinois will see who steps up to take the reins. Thankfully, Bielema has put together plenty of options.
Illinois pulled in two new options at wide receiver – Justin Bowick from Ball State and Hudson Clement from West Virginia. Both players are starting to hit their stride during training camp as they prepare for the season, too.
Bret Bielema did say "Murphy Clement". That's Hudson's younger brother, and he mixed it up. This clip is referring to Hudson's growth.
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) August 18, 2025
Had over 50 catches for WVU last year. He could be plug and play in the regular season for Altmyer. #Illini
Let’s not forget about the returning talent. While most of these players didn’t get a ton of snaps last season, there is still some talent on the Illinois roster.
Hank Beatty is entering his senior year, and he is Illinois’ leading returning wide receiver with 20 receptions for 294 yards and a touchdown. Collin Dixon, who is just entering his sophomore campaign, was right behind Beatty with 18 receptions for 264 yards last season.
Going down the depth chart, there are a lot of potential stars. Malik Elzy was a four-star coming out of high school and has yet to flash his true potential. Ashton Hollins is finally healthy and ready to perform. Don’t sleep on freshman Brayden Trimble either. He could have a big season.
Illinois wide receiver lowlights – Chemistry with Luke Altmyer
I touched on the bountiful options in the last section, but let’s be honest, there probably isn’t a ton of chemistry built up with Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer just yet.
The newcomers in Clement and Bowick surely don’t have a seamless connection yet. Altmyer didn’t throw a ton to his returning wide receivers either. I would imagine Beatty and Dixon are solid, but the rest of the crew doesn’t have that rapport built up just yet.
There is a decent chance it takes a few games for the chemistry to really start clicking between quarterback and wide receivers. Look for Altmyer to find a safety blanket early and often until that chemistry is built up.
Illinois wide receiver future – Stars in the making
No one really knows who is going to emerge as the leader of the Illinois wide receiver corps in 2025 just yet. One thing I am pretty confident about is the fact that there are some stars waiting in the wings.
I think Dixon is someone who could easily be Illinois’ No. 1 wide receiver in 2025. Beatty is going to have his hands full with special teams duties, so that will leave Dixon with more snaps and looks most likely. It would not shock me to see the true sophomore go for 55 receptions for 750 yards and five touchdowns this season.
There is no doubt in my mind that Trimble is going to be a wrecking ball, too. He is a true freshman this season, and don’t be surprised if he gets a start or two. Trimble will get snaps and make an impact on the Illini.